Day and Night
by xStaticxTelevisionx
Summary: They are polar opposites. Sometimes they get along beautifully, in perfect understanding and harmony. Sometimes, they need outside interference. A series of one-shots and drabbles centered around the beloved Foreigner and the reclusive Clock Maker. NEW Curious Dreams II: The conclusion of Nightmare's stupidity from the third installment.
1. Chapter 1

01: Day and Night

 **So spring break has finally arrived for me, and to celebrate I wanted to start yet another new project though I still have several to finish.**

 **I'll get to the other ones when I get to them. I want to write but I'm tired of working on the new chapter for New Game, and I can't update La Cirque until I post on New Game. So:**

 **It is my personal belief that Julius gets way too little love. He's literally the only Role-Holder who looks at Alice with genuine respect and he's never tried to bully her into anything. Ever. He has no ulterior motives. I will go down with this ship.**

 **-Static**

 **/*\**

The night was beautiful in its own way. Where she adored the bright light and the liveliness that the mornings brought, he preferred the soft silence of a near-black sky. She was bright and covered from head to toe in the prettiest shade of blue where he preferred to fade away into the shadows of the background. She was loud and outspoken, always voicing an opinion even when it might not be appreciated. He was quiet and modest, forever shying away from the affairs of other people and going out of his way to hold them at arms-length. She was an open book with nothing lost in translation, and he remained a puzzle of a man. She was the prettiest of days, and he was the mysterious night.

She was bright where he was dark. She was fire and he was ice. She was a comforting warmth and he was the winter cold. They were complete opposites, but those closest to them thought that this might be the very reason why their relationship worked. Their contrasting characteristics complemented each other, and they had just enough similarities that they could be linked even closer.

Though the night made her sleepy she would gush that she loved to gaze at the many demure stars that resided in the indigo sky, even that she found it preferable to squinting through the garish light of the too-bright sun. He grudgingly admitted that a part of him enjoyed the daily noise of the town below, for it meant that he was saved from complete quietude and that his work was somehow purposeful.

Right now, he was taking a rare reprieve from that work. He'd finished during the noon, and in a rare moment of rebelliousness had used an hourglass to change the time. The day turned dark, and he ventured onto the roof to savor what would most likely be a painfully short amount of time he would be allowed to have to himself.

He leaned on the railing, observing the little town he ran. Rather, the little town _she_ ran. Though it was technically supposed to be a part of his Role, the other work took precedence. Any precious free time was used for things such as sleeping and eating. It was almost unheard of for him to simply relax.

As he gazed down at the dimly lit streets he spied a familiar shimmer of golden hair swishing as a petite figure ventured towards the tower. Their shared home. He rested his chin on his arms as he watched her make her return. After all, when night came it wasn't long until the crazies came out.

Just as the thought crossed his mind he caught a flicker of movement, just a little to the side of her. A block and a half down was a gang of faceless men. They were stumbling and laughing, so he assumed them to be drunk. He would have been content to disregard them had it not been for the fact that their wandering was leading them ever closer to her. That was when one of them caught sight of her from down an alleyway. They all immediately froze and began conversing. At this point she wasn't too far away from the tower. Just another block down and she'd be back. He tried to convince himself there was no need to be worried.

That was until he noticed one of them holding something that looked dangerously metallic.

/*\

That afternoon the woman had quite happily busied herself with shopping. Her spouse was absolutely drowning in work. She'd needed to call out his name three times that "morning" when she woke up to catch his attention. He'd been completely drained of energy and the coffee supply – by far the most important resource in their household – was running dangerously low. After she'd prepared what little of the beverage was left, she'd run into town to buy more supplies.

As she'd been chatting amiably with a cashier at her final stop, the light in the windows had abruptly vanished. It was nighttime, and she'd gotten the feeling that her loved one had something to do with it. With a bright smile she hastily completed her purchase and started to make her way home.

If he'd finished up work, she didn't want to miss a moment of it. She sometimes felt she didn't get to have very much time with him. Even if the knight didn't show up for another few time periods, the after-images would still bring in the odd clock or two. She wanted every second of his time that she could get.

Much of the trip had gone quite smoothly. Warm light spilled from the shops and homes into the streets, and the air was the perfect temperature. A faint breeze brushed over her skin, and she could hear the laughter of children as they were herded indoors. She was only a few hundred yards away from her destination when one such spectacle caught her attention.

Through an open window she caught a dash of movement. A man and his wife, settling themselves onto a plain chaise as two children sat themselves down to play with some toys on the floor, an older third bringing a book to a soft chair.

It reminded her of something. Something that felt out of place. She couldn't quite name what it was, but she found that it made her feel incredibly sad. The sadness puzzled her. Why would she feel sad? She'd never been happier in her life…

Had she?

A faint glimpse of memory flashed by her eyes, images of faces and expressions and actions. A man and a woman, both significantly older than her. Her parents? A young girl with jet black hair and ferocious blue eyes. She got the feeling that this girl was always getting into trouble. Then there was another girl-no woman. Definitely a woman. She was dressed in the gaudiest purple gown and her bonnet was too fine for daily wear, but she wore it anyways.

Wait. Why did she know that? Who was the woman in purple?

The woman in the street had stopped abruptly, trying to piece together her mixed sense of familiarity and sadness. She was more than a little perturbed. Clearly these faint memories were important, otherwise she wouldn't feel so strongly about them, right?

A moment of icy fear shot down her spine. She could vaguely recall these memories from other points throughout her stay in this world. She knew she was different, from a different place, but every so often she found she couldn't recall certain details. What was she missing? Why couldn't she-?

It was then that a figure stepped out of the darkness. A man, nearly a foot taller than herself. He was smiling and he held his posture straight yet relaxed. Still, the woman felt that something wasn't quite right. There was something off about him.

He spoke to her, his words lilting and slurring. It became apparent very quickly that he was drunk. Though he was the only one she could see, she could hear others snickering and giggling behind him. They must have been drunk too, otherwise they would have kept quieter.

The woman suspected that this was supposed to be something a little stealthier on their part, and she didn't like it. She conversed with the man politely, but she kept her answers to his questions short. She carefully intoned that she needed to leave. She had an appointment and somebody was expecting her.

That was when the façade had evaporated like steam into air.

The man's expression darkened, and he stepped towards her. His right hand had been hidden behind his back, and as he swung it around in view she saw his fingers clutching the neck of a broken bottle. He pointed it at her and started shouting terrifying nonsense. Things about how the Foreigner had too much of an advantage in Wonderland, and demanding to know why she'd chosen to make herself the Clockmaker's whore. The more he talked the more afraid she became.

As much as his intoxicated slurs enraged her, her fear won out. The louder his voice got the more of his friends appeared and the more windows closed. The woman had experienced her fair share of awful words and nasty looks – she'd quickly learned that her spouse was not a well-liked man – but never had anyone attacked her, at least not in this context. They knew better.

They knew that if they dared to lay a finger on her or the Clockmaker himself, his bodyguard would slaughter them all.

This time, however, the Executioner was nowhere in sight. If he'd been around, he would have arrived by now. If he'd gotten stuck with orders from the Queen, he was probably lost somewhere on the other side of the country. Her luck had finally run out. This time, there was no one to save her.

 _Is this it?_ She wondered. _Is this how I die?_ She didn't want it to be true, but with each second that passed her hope drained a little more. The leader was almost done with his monologue and the woman held on to her meager shopping bags as though they would save her life, clutching them against her body as if they would shield her from the atrocities her attackers would undoubtedly commit. They wouldn't, but it satisfied some instinct that told her she needed to hang on to something.

The man finished his vile speech and his friends approached her, step by step. Every single one of them had a sick smile on his face, and her stomach lurched when she heard one of them make a comment on how attractive her legs must look beneath her dress.

Suddenly, a terrible thought struck her. She wondered if they had something much darker in mind than mere murder.

She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain she was certain she felt coming. Maybe, just maybe, she could survive this. She might make it long enough to catch the notice of some of her friends. If that happened, rescue would be guaranteed and the men who hurt her would be horrifically punished.

Her spouse just might defy his Role and fully destroy their clocks out of sheer rage.

Her terrified mind counted the seconds, waiting for impact, but nothing happened. She realized she couldn't even hear the ragged giggles or sloppy steps. Slowly the woman cracked open one of her eyes. They'd vanished. She blinked.

No. Wait. They weren't gone. Instead they were on the ground, bodies splayed at unnatural angles and swimming in pools of blood that seeped out of ugly gashes. The woman's head whipped around, looking for her would-be savior. She was certain she'd heard nothing.

But then she had been awfully scared.

Once she got to looking behind herself, she saw him. His long, richly colored hair bound into a severe ponytail that entirely destroyed his careful aesthetic. The sword gripped in a steady hand, dripping blood deeper and darker than the night sky above them. His body was shaking with seething anger as he stared at the corpses until they dissolved. One by one they reverted to their true forms – varying timepieces floating in crimson puddles. His hand began to shake too.

He was clearly having a mental debate with himself. He was trying to convince himself not to destroy the clocks, but she could tell that he wanted to. The woman lacked the time to compose herself. She was almost frightened.

She had never seen this side of him. She hadn't even known he owned any weapon other than his pistol. He was the most normal person she knew in this world, and that had been part of why she'd initially taken a liking to him. He was peaceful. He didn't fight.

For the longest time, she thought he _couldn't_.

How wrong she had been. In that moment he'd defied all of her expectations in the worst of ways, but it had been in her defense. He was not the Executioner. He never involved himself in fights. If he did, it was because he had no choice. Nonetheless she was terrified. She was wondering what to do when she saw his sword-hand raise. Her eyes widened.

He was going to do it.

He was going to break the rule that he was sworn to uphold.

She had to stop him.

"Julius, no!" She cried, one arm reaching out towards him as his movement halted. He slowly turned his head.

"Alice?" He asked, almost as if he'd never realized her presence.

"Julius," she repeated, "I am okay." Her voiced had evened out, and the softness of her tone coaxed the enraged man into lowering his sword.

"You aren't hurt?"

"No." She said, "I'm perfectly fine. Return to the tower with me. I don't want to be out here any longer." Her lover was silent for a moment.

"Of course. I'll let the after-images take care of it." his voice rang out into the darkness, rich and comforting. Silently promising her that she was safe now that he was with her. Her terror set aside, she smiled faintly.

"Good." She answered. The crisis averted, she led him those last few yards up the stairs to the tower door. All the while, she couldn't help but think that she'd forgotten something important.

 **/*\**

 **So I've got it in my head that Julius is secretly a badass, and here's why:**

 ******SPOILER ALERT****YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED******

 **Since Ace was an orphaned child that Julius found on the street, I highly doubt that he was a swordsman of any kind before Julius took him in. Julius was responsible for most of his education, and Ace never spoke of any teacher other than his guardian. (At least not that I remember.)**

 **So who taught him how to use the sword?**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!**

 **-Static**


	2. Chapter 2

**So I looked over that last one and DANG I used so many pretentious words and overcomplicated the hell out of my sentences.**

 **In my defense, it was 4am.**

 **This is better. I promise.**

 **-Static**

 **/*\**

02: Caffeine

The tiny bedroom was cozy. Though the harsh winter raged outside, Alice was perfectly content with her current position. Her work in Clover Tower was done for the day, and she had finally made it back to her room for some respite.

Immediately upon her return, Alice had locked the door behind her and lashed the curtains shut. With her privacy assured, she artfully plucked the pins from her hair while simultaneously loosening the buttons and zippers on her work uniform. By the time her hair fell free she was already half way to the bathroom attached to her bedroom.

As she let the searing heat of the water melt away the ice in her veins, she found herself feeling ever more grateful that indoor plumbing existed in this strange place. She washed the day off her skin and drained the water from the luxurious tub. Soon enough she wrapped herself in the fluffiest towels she'd ever had the privilege of using, and dressed into her nightwear.

Alice loved her flannel pajamas. They were warm and soft and everything she needed for the winter. Far better than the nightgowns she wore back home. As soon as her hair was dry enough, she left the heat of the bathroom. Immediately, to her annoyance, an unpleasant shiver wracked its way down her spine.

Why was her room so cold?

Oh, the fireplace had gone out. Her bare feet padded silently on the plush carpet of her floor, and she threw a couple of logs into the grate. She added in a bit of old newspaper, and grabbed the matches. Now that she'd attended to it, she could be warm again.

Once she'd gotten the fire going she washed her hands of dirt and splinters. She slid her feet into the softest pair of slippers she owned, and then stared down her bookshelf.

What did Alice want to read tonight?

She wasn't quite sure. She mulled over a few different titles, but something in the back of her mind was stopping her from choosing any of the books set before her. She felt as though she'd forgotten something.

But what?

A knocking on her door broke her out of her reverie. Who could that be? After such a long day, Alice half-heartedly thought about simply ignoring it. She desperately wanted to rest, but she knew that it would be more than unkind.

After the last time a faceless failed to reach her at the bidding of the Role Holders, it hadn't ended well for him. The guilt had assaulted her for weeks.

So with a sigh, the Foreigner unlatched her door and cracked it open. Immediately a smile lit up her face.

"Oh! Hello Evelyn! How are you this evening?" Naturally, Alice had befriended a few of the faceless. She worked with them after all, and as much as she loved the Role Holders they were always certain to make it clear that they were different. They wanted to impress her, and so flaunted their supernatural powers and emphasized on the important duties they held within Wonderland. That was all well and fine, but it could be tiring. Her faceless companions helped her remember what it felt like to be normal.

"Miss Alice!" Evelyn smiled, relieved. "I am fine, yourself?"

"Tired, but otherwise well. What brings you here?" Alice beamed. For a moment Evelyn looked almost distraught.

"Oh no! Were you about to go to sleep? I apologize!" And to that Alice frowned. She had repeatedly asked the faceless to treat her like a normal person. While it had taken some time it had happened. When she first met them, they had reacted her almost as though they'd been _afraid_ of her. Or rather, afraid of what would happen should they displease her. It had unnerved her to no end. Every so often they would revert to their humble but distant selves, treating her like an authority.

Alice hated that.

"No, it's fine. Has something happened?"

"No. It's just that, well, you asked us to tell you if the Clock Master was to run out of coffee. He is sitting with an empty mug at his desk." Suddenly it clicked.

 _No wonder I feel like I'm forgetting something!_ Alice mentally berated herself. _I forgot about Julius's coffee! He can't function without it!_

"Oh!" Alice exclaimed. "Will you do me a favor? Can you have the coffee press and some beans ready in the kitchen?" Evelyn smiled,

"Of course. What kind?"

"The strongest espresso in this tower." Alice requested.

"Consider it done!" The faceless answered cheerfully and scampered off. Alice closed the door behind her and groaned.

She would have to get dressed again.

/*\

Julius was staring intently at the clock before him. Was Alice going to stop by tonight? She normally did. Every night period she would bring him coffee, but by his normal calculation she was nearly half an hour late. He had made sure to down his mug over an hour ago in preparation. She was always mortified when she realized she'd made fresh coffee for no reason.

So he always made sure there wasn't a drop of the stuff in sight when it neared time for her to arrive. Now, Julius was not an addict. Not by a long shot. He was far too self-contained for such a thing, however he had been without coffee for longer than usual.

On top of that, he hadn't slept in nearly fifteen time periods, so roughly three days. There had simply been too much work. The caffeine had been the only thing allowing him to sit upright and see straight.

Now he was starting to feel exhausted. The caffeine crash was starting to weigh down on him, and his vision was beginning to go blurry. It looked like there were two gears in that spot instead of one, three hands where there should only be two. Julius blinked his eyes several times, but to no avail. It wasn't working. He thought about getting up and just making himself more coffee, but if he were to return with a fresh cup just to find Alice standing there she would feel insulted.

He wasn't feeling up to dealing with her hurt feelings right now. If he could barely handle it in the best of conditions, there was no way he could deal with it in his severely sleep-deprived state.

But…he was so tired, and there was simply too much work that needed to be finished. It would be irresponsible of him to sleep now. Alice's feelings be damned, he needed coffee. He stood up, and forced his protesting muscles to carry him out the door.

/*\

Alice had done it. She'd finally made the perfect cup. In an effort to refrain from serving Julius anything that deserved less than 80 points, she'd made it a policy to try a sip from the flask each time she made his favorite drink for him.

This had to be the best pot of coffee she'd ever made. She'd yet to feel prouder of herself. Alice was positive she would get a 100 this time.

In an effort to make sure the whole pot wouldn't go to waste, she filled up a fresh mug and wrangled the still mostly-full pot into a tea cozy (it wouldn't do to have it go cold). She set them both on a tray with a sugar bowl and cream dish, and carefully made her way to Julius's office.

/*\

As soon as Julius returned, he felt his heart sink. He'd convinced himself that she wouldn't show up tonight. When he bumped into Gray in the kitchen, the assassin had been quite specific: Alice was exhausted. She had retired to her room. She was most likely asleep by now. This had placated the small bit of worry in the back of his mind. If Alice had really been that tired, chances were good that she would skip tonight.

Julius has mixed a few tablespoons of instant coffee into a mug of steaming water, and that had been that.

As he returned to his haven, taking a sip here and there he couldn't resist making faces. This was not good coffee, but he could be afforded nothing better.

How wrong he had been.

As he'd opened up the door, there she was. Alice was just picking her fingers back up as she set a tray down on his desk. When the door latched behind him her eyes had shot up to his face. Immediately her lips curved into a smile, until she saw what he clutched in his hand.

Julius braced himself for it. As tired as he was, he would take the scolding she'd give for not waiting for her. He resigned himself to his fate and walked back to his chair, coffee cup in hand. He set the disgusting beverage down, and picked his tools back up.

Seconds passed and then minutes, and still she had not said a word. He wondered why it was taking her so long when her soft voice rang into the silent air.

"Julius, look at me."

And as he obeyed she gently took his face into her hands. Her eyes stared intently into his, and then she took in the rest of his features. Normally he would be furious and mortified, demanding to know what she was doing. Right now, he was just too tired and his compliance told Alice everything she needed to know. Her eyes scrunched up in worry.

"You look exhausted."

"Too much work." He answered. She only sighed and released him, and his face felt suddenly cold.

Why did he feel so disappointed when she pulled away?

"Well, when you inevitably find yourself in need of more coffee, there's a full pot right here." She smiled half-heartedly. Julius groaned inwardly. He'd hurt her feelings. "I put a special tea-cozy on it. It'll stay hot for hours. Goodnight." She turned to walk away, but he grabbed the sleeve of her blazer. Hadn't she worn a different outfit to work today? He didn't know. When she turned back, a quizzical expression on her face, he spoke up.

"I'm sorry I didn't wait for you." He felt his cheeks start to heat up a tad, but through the utter exhaustion he couldn't find it in himself to care too much. Hell, he was mostly inclined to think this was a dream.

"It's fine. I was very late." She reassured.

"Don't you want to hear your score?" He questioned. Her mood seemed to perk a bit. She nodded. Abandoning the cup of instant coffee, he picked up hers and sipped. In a moment of careless recklessness, he decided he wanted to let the tension rise. After he sipped he froze, patiently waiting for her to give him something. He let a hint of anxiety make its way into her turquoise glance before he spoke.

That was the best cup of coffee he'd ever had. That, or he was just too exhausted to tell the difference. His face remained perfectly impassive.

"I give it a 99.99." A moment of silence passed, then two, then three. Still she said nothing.

Why did he feel so inexplicably happy when he saw her face contort from anxious to astounded to absolutely furious?

"99.99? What the hell do you mean 99.99?!" She demanded. "Are you really so petty as to withhold a hundredth of a point just so that I can't get the full hundred?!"

In truth, that really wasn't it. In his sleep-deprived state, he just wanted to see how she would react. Now that he'd gotten that reaction…he was starting to panic again. He'd had a little bit of his sadistic fun (before this night he'd never realized he was thus inclined) but now he didn't know what to do with her rage. A part of him was quite mortified, he knew he deserved a small portion of her wrath, but this was a little bit scary.

"That is amazing coffee!" She ranted.

His clock was faltering. Angry Alice morphed to loud Alice, loud Alice gave him a headache.

"How dare you!"

If she didn't shut up soon, Gray would burst into his office demanding to know what the hell Julius had done.

"Do you have any idea how goddamn TIRED I AM OF YOUR NONSENSE?!" Then she fell silent, her eyes wide and her mouth opened in a small 'o'.

Through his growing irritation and embarrassment he latched onto those words, and not just because they were the last ones to be spoken. He set down the mug and raised an eyebrow at her.

"What nonsense?" He inquired neutrally. His face giving nothing away except his willingness to rise to her challenge.

/*\

Alice huffed, surprised at herself. As much as she grew irate with the man at times, she had always maintained the self-control to bite her tongue when she got the urge to say something less than pleasant. Julius was one of the only people back in the Country of Hearts to treat her with genuine kindness. He had no ulterior motives in his dealings with her, making him in many ways her only ally and friend.

But after the day she'd had, after the utter exhaustion she was suffering, and after his unusual blatant prodding tonight, she'd just snapped.

She'd reached the end of her rope, and it looked as though he'd reached the end of his as well.

"Well?" He asked, smoothly rising up out of his chair, the coffee forgotten. Despite the fact that he was over a foot taller than her, Alice was not one to back down. She squared her shoulders and glared up into his face.

"You can be so cowardly, do you know that?" She asked. Before the man could answer she continued. "You refuse to interact with other people unless the Rules demand it. Ace and I are the only people you're inclined to tolerate, and even then you can treat us so terribly sometimes. Ace, I understand. But me?" She paused. "What have I done to deserve that?"

Julius had no idea how to answer her. He didn't even have the slightest clue what she was talking about. He wanted to ask the question and something told him that it was a bad idea. He didn't feel particularly inclined to care.

"Woman," he spat, "what are you on about?"

Her face darkened. Did he really not know?

"You do your best to drive people away, but you don't really want to do you? So few people show you kindness that you're afraid to give it yourself."

"Yet I rewarded you with it, didn't I?"

To this she faltered. He had, and it had been during a time when he did not know her. But then that had a perfectly reasonable explanation, one that made her bitter.

"That's right." She answered. "You took pity on me. Because I'm an _Outsider_ right?" She hissed.

That was the only reason that anyone in this world wanted her around. She was a rarity. She was an alien in this place, an undecided and other factor. She bent the Rules of the "Game", meaning that everyone else's lives would get to be slightly more interesting for a little while.

For everyone else, that was all she was good for. She was a change in their daily routine and a bit of eye candy. So why would Julius be any different? Because he acted different?

People weren't like that. They didn't allow themselves to be so plainly seen.

Julius on the other hand was infuriated and embarrassed and astonished. He didn't want to think about the various meanings that could be laced in her words.

How could she think that?

He stood stone still, glaring down at the tiny woman before him. He might not be a confrontational sort of man, but he wasn't going to take that. Not without a fight.

"Alice?" He asked carefully, "Do you mean to compare me to the other Role Holders?"

Alice took a step back. She got the feeling that she had made a mistake, a huge one. Insulting one of her only real friends wasn't a good idea, but at the same time she still had that lingering fear. What if he's acting? What if he really is like everyone else?

What if he really does have ulterior motives?

That would break her heart more than anything else.

So in one last desperate attempt to save her own feelings, she had lashed out at the one who meant most to her. Judging by the look on his face, the shock and anger and hurt, she knew she'd been wrong.

Julius was terrible at dealing with other people. She could read him like a book. As often as she'd flustered him and caught him off guard, it seemed more and more unlikely that it could be fake. Nobody could be that good an actor, right? Julius had to be one of the most un-charming men she had ever met. He hated everyone and everything, but he still managed to make time for "friends". Friends like Ace.

Why?

Maybe because he could relate to the wayward knight better than anyone else in Heart? Or rather, maybe it was for some deeper and darker reason that she had no business knowing?

She felt she couldn't afford to put her faith in him, and Julius felt the same.

He didn't dislike her, but he knew the consequences of interacting with an Outsider. She would leave him vulnerable, and in a world where he had no allies, that simply wasn't a risk he could take. She could endanger his very survival. While that in itself wasn't too big a deal, the death of his current "self" would bring him that much closer to becoming like… _him_. Though immortality might seem like an intriguing prospect, Julius would have been perfectly content to let somebody else take that responsibility.

Alice was dangerous. For him. For all of them, and yet he'd still taken her in. He'd still made sure she was safe, and that she was living comfortably. Why? Because he knew what the others would do. Men like Boris and Peter and the Bloody Twins, they would do their best to take advantage of her, even if they didn't quite see it that way.

And when they succeeded, she would return to her home broken. Even if he didn't like to admit it, Julius knew he wasn't the kind of person to let that happen to her, especially when she had been brought to Wonderland against her will.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I'm sorry." She repeated louder. "I just…."

Wonderful, Alice was beginning to have a mental breakdown in front of the one person who _wouldn't_ want to see her this way. She took a deep breath, and held up a hand at his alarmed expression.

"Don't worry," she managed to get out, "I'm not going to cry. It's just, you. You're…" She stopped, a frustrated and perplexed expression appearing on her face. It was like she knew exactly what she meant, but she couldn't quite catch the word she wanted to use to describe it. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't coax it into being.

"I'm…?" Julius prompted, both worried and curious. As much as female emotions were a foreign and terrifying force, a part of him desperately wanted to know what she would say.

Maybe it was the exhaustion, or maybe it was the caffeine. All he knew was that he wanted to know exactly what she thought of him, and now was just as good a time as any, right?

"You're just-you're too good to be true." She stated softly. Then she turned and walked out the door, leaving an exhausted and overworked man wondering just what the hell had happened.

/*\

Alice returned to her room and let her clothes fall haphazardly to the floor as she reached for her pajamas once more. She knew she probably should have hung them back up – she'd only been wearing them for about ten minutes. There was no way they were dirty – but she didn't have the energy to care. She glanced at her bookshelf, but soon dismissed the notion. After what had just happened, there was no way she could focus on reading.

So left with few other options, Alice chose the most obvious one. She was dead tired and half asleep already, and her blankets and pillows looked more appealing than anything else. All she wanted was some sleep so, even if she'd just completely spilled her guts to the one man who probably wouldn't want her, it could wait until morning. However, fate was not so kind.

Just as Alice finished buttoning up her shirt, a rapid tapping came from her door.

She'd had quite enough of late-night visitors.

She tore open the door to chew out whoever had decided to disturb her, when she faltered.

Why had Julius followed her to her room?

"What did you mean when you said, 'I'm too good to be true'?"

/*\

Gray was starting to feel both annoyed and worried. First, he'd woken up to a small group of faceless valiantly trying to chase down Nightmare. After he'd gotten his childish boss set up in his office with a 24/7 watch, he'd gone through his morning routine. Gym, hygiene, and then breakfast.

It had gone quite smoothly until breakfast came around. He couldn't find his favorite tea cozy anywhere, which irritated him because he wanted his tea to stay _hot_. Well, even if it was a little annoying it wasn't the end of the world. So that could be overlooked.

Next was that Gray had needed some assistance from the Clock Master. Though Gray was fairly skilled in many things, technology was not something he was well acquainted with. Seeing as the west side of the tower was having many issues with their electricity, he figured that the reclusive Role-Holder might be able to help him figure out how to fix it.

When he arrived at Julius's workshop, he found the hermit to be _missing_. The one time Gray needed his assistance and he was out?

Just his luck.

The worst part though, was when he couldn't find Alice. She was Nightmare's assistant, making her third in charge of the Tower. She was always very, very diligent in her work. If she was ever even a minute late she would be on her hands and knees begging for forgiveness. Her work ethic was admirable, especially considering that no Role Holder would ever dream of making her do such menial tasks as attend to some paperwork.

Alice was now nearly three hours late for her shift, and Gray had neither seen nor heard anything about her. As he was walking down the hallways, the cheerful woman nowhere in sight, his worry increased.

Where could she be?

Had something happened to her?

That was when Gray found himself passing by her door. He'd needed to deliver some papers to Nightmare's bedroom, as Gray figured his wayward boss had managed to worm his way out of his tasks by now.

The assassin thought about it for a moment. As a general rule, Alice didn't much like being bothered when she was spending time in "her space". She liked her privacy, and given what she had to deal with on a daily basis Gray could respect that. How she hadn't murdered anyone yet was beyond him.

At the same time, he was starting to feel extremely worried. So possibly risking life and limb, or just a guilt-wrenching puppy dog face begging for a few more minutes of sleep, he knocked on the door.

Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of the Clock Master pulling the door open several moments later shirtless, his hair an unbound mess, and absolutely radiating the desire to kill.

"What do you want?" He hissed.

"Uh, nothing. Carry on." Gray answered hastily, and stared at the now closed door quite bemused.

Though he was loathe to admit it, he approved of Alice's choice.

He had been terrified that she'd choose the fucking knight.

 **/*\**

 **Holy crap this is long. A whopping nine pages in Word! Anyways, I may or may not have some really exciting news. There are some details that I'm still sorting out, but expect something BIG in the author's notes next update!**

 **And, maybe, R &R? Or don't. I can't tell you how to live your life. xD**

 **-Static**


	3. Chapter 3

**I should be working on a New Game. It's the longest project I've ever undertaken and I'm making such great progress on it.**

 **But I just don't have it in me right now. So enjoy some AlicexJulius for the time being.**

 **-Static**

 **/*\**

03: Curious Dreams II

She hummed happily as fingers glided over her neck, lighter than the wings of a butterfly. A shiver danced down her spine and though she wore a smile on her face she still turned to scold the man who did it. She was tired and wanted to sleep. At first the ministrations had felt nice. First his fingers had combed through her hair, then rubbed circles behind her ear, then slid down to hold her hand.

Then he got bored. Then he began to tease.

And she was planning on teasing back. She had managed to evade his prodding fingers with giggles and scathing remarks, and she was reaching to brush his bangs out of his eyes. Then the alarm rang.

She could feel herself jump in her bed as she was jolted back to reality. Warm pillows, warm blankets, comfortable nightclothes, but alas he was nowhere to be found. She pulled her hand free and slammed her fist down on the button of the ear-piercing device, and she pulled the blankets up over her ears in a fit of childish annoyance. She glared at the clock, the door, the fireplace, and anything else her eyes could fall upon.

Of course it had just been another dream. As real as the embrace had felt, there was always something wrong, something that gave it all away for the tawdry illusion it was. Sometimes she couldn't feel his hands, hear his words. Sometimes his hair looked too short and sometimes she could only tell it was him from his familiar sigh of irritation. In this particular instance, it was that she couldn't see his face.

In fact that was fairly common. She almost never saw his face.

She rolled over and let her cheek fall onto the cool side of her pillow. Since there was no light shining through the curtains, she assumed it was still a night period. She pressed her face into the cloth of the pillowcase and let one of her eyes trace the flowery embroidery on her duvet as she debated with herself. She had worked in the Tower of Clover for months now and hadn't missed a single day. She always finished her work properly and on time, and she never failed to go above and beyond in the tasks she completed. She could absolutely call in sick if she wanted to, she'd earned it. She could just fall back asleep and tell Nightmare that she wasn't feeling very well. If she kept him occupied with fun conversation, then he wouldn't pick up on the miniscule lie.

Or he'd try to blackmail her into letting him play hooky with her.

She sighed but still refused to rise. She _was_ allowed to sleep whenever it was nighttime. The Role-Holders of Clover were awfully fond of daytime periods, so night was a rarity. She had special permission to enjoy it however she saw fit.

Which generally meant sleeping. However she usually still got up to work when it was time. Even after having one of _those_ dreams she still went through her routine. She showered and got dressed. Then she made her way down to the cafeteria to have breakfast and she made coffee in spite of the stars shining out the window. When she had the tea tray ready, she waltzed back up the stairs and into the office as she did every day.

"Alice," Gray had remarked, surprised. "I'd have thought you'd still be sleeping." She shrugged.

"The thought was tempting but I couldn't fall back asleep. So I figured I should be productive." This was said with a cheerful tone and a convincing smile. She was certain that the assassin would forget the subject within the frame of a few seconds, but he only raised an eyebrow.

Why? Alice had long since perfected the art of fooling Gray Ringmarc over small matters. She had grown very good at being selective with her words, and he was generally too busy chasing Nightmare around to read into them too much. At this point, nothing should have seemed amiss.

Yet for some reason it did.

"Really?" He asked. "Nightmare was just telling me that you've been having some very distressing dreams. If you need to go back to your room…"

Gray kept talking, reassuring her that if she felt unwell she could leave, but she heard none of it. Alice froze, her heart halting in its tracks. Her eyes widened and her smile faltered, the color draining from her face. Nightmare knew? He'd seen what she'd been dreaming? He knew what sorts of things she thought about in the dead of night when she was by herself without anyone else to disturb her? When her gaze slipped to the demon an innocent smile was plastered on his face. His hands were folded and his chin sat atop them, and he looked rather pleased with himself. Whether it was because of her dream or his excuse to procrastinate just a little bit longer she didn't know, but either way Alice was not happy.

"Has he now?" She asked absentmindedly.

Steeling herself she approached the desk, Gray maintaining a respectable distance, and maybe when she set down the tray of tea it clattered a little too harshly. Maybe a few drops of tea spilled and maybe her fingers were shaking a tad. The smile on Nightmare's face vanished, and his eyebrows shot upwards.

"Really Alice," the demon said, "feel free to return to bed. You look-" He never got the chance to finish.

"Nightmare," Alice began, glaring at the man for all she was worth, "do you and I need to have another talk about privacy?"

/*\

For once Julius was changing into his nightclothes. With Ace's smaller-than-usual deliveries recently, he had actually managed to finish up his work for the time being. He was sure there would be more clocks tomorrow, definitely the day after, but he was looking forward to exercising the divine privilege to _sleep._

Wonderland knew he got far too few chances.

He locked the door and blew out the oil lamp and two candles. He crawled up into bed and he thought that would be that. He'd get some rest, then wake up and continue. If Ace still hadn't arrived then maybe he would read a while and relax. He almost laughed at the thought. He wanted to be optimistic, but nothing was ever that easy.

And unfortunately, now was no exception.

The one time Julius was allowed to rest, and it was the one time that _he_ decided to make his presence known. The Clock Master was not unaware of Nightmare's occasional observances – mind readers can't always control what they see – but it was rare for the demon to pull him into the Dream Realm. Julius staved down his annoyance. If Nightmare wanted to talk in the privacy of his own world rather than wait and speak in his office, it had to be important.

Everyone in the tower knew not to bother him unless absolutely necessary.

The incubus floated in midair, purple and green clouds swirling around his relaxed and unworried form. The Clock Master frowned. This certainly didn't look important.

"What do you want?" He growled.

"Tsk, tsk," Nightmare responded, letting his feet touch the floor. "That's awfully rude Clock Maker. Especially when all I want is to talk." Julius crossed his arms and let his spine straighten as he glowered. This was definitely an unwelcome surprise and Nightmare knew it.

"Speak your mind and be done with it." The demon chuckled and pulled his legs up, appearing to sit cross-legged in the air.

"It's about Alice." Alice? For a moment it seemed as though time stopped. Why would he want to talk about Alice? Now Julius was worried. Had something happened to her? Was she okay?

Or was the demon being an idiot again?

"What about her?" Julius asked, careful to leave his tone neutral. When the demon let _that_ smile stretch across his sickly face the human man did everything he could to mask the fury. Something told him it was likely that the demon had not actually come to report anything worthy of concern, but he couldn't tell. _The one chance I get to sleep and this is what I am afforded?_ He wondered, irate.

"She's been having some rather… _interesting_ dreams lately." When the demon again refused to relinquish any more information, Julius realized what he was doing. Of course.

 _Such games are for children._ He thought bitterly. The incubus let a giggle slip through his lips.

"Come now, if you're going to be rude at least speak aloud. I can hear you, you know." Julius glowered.

"I'll be frank, I'm far too tired for this. Can't it wait for another time?" Nightmare paused and let a thoughtful look pass over his face. A hookah appeared and he inhaled through the stem, a smoke ring leaving his lips just a few seconds before he spoke again.

"I suppose it could, but I get the feeling that this might be something you want to deal with right away." Julius paused. That didn't sound good, especially if Nightmare had chosen to involve Alice. Even more worrying, why would he want to talk about her dreams?

"What, exactly, is 'this'?" The Clock Maker asked warily.

"Haven't you been listening to a word I've been saying?"

"Explain, worm." The demon huffed and let his figure rotate upside-down, his hair falling towards the floor.

"That's not a very nice way to address someone who's trying to help you."

"Perhaps if I knew just what you were trying to help with, I would address you more respectfully." Nightmare snorted.

"I'm a dream-demon not an idiot. Back to the matter though. Alice has been having very odd dreams indeed. They have her waking up sweating and with adrenaline coursing through her veins. They have her feeling quite perturbed indeed."

"And this has to do with me because…?"

"Because in these dreams, you're involved. Very closely involved." A pause. Then a smile. "Would you like to see?"

/*\

For Alice there was nothing better than Clover Tower's bathhouse. As much as she loved the private bathroom in her in-suite bedroom, she would never turn down the opportunity to relax her muscles in the heated pools after a long day at work.

As she sank down into the searing warm water she let her eyes slide closed. She was so warm. It was a wonderful reprieve from the chill of the dark sky and snowy paths. The ice had left her so cold that the hot water had caused goosebumps to erupt all over her skin. Yes she was quite warm, and content, and after about an hour was starting to feel just a little bit sleepy. The rational side of her mind told her to get out and return to her room so that she could rest safely. The other, bigger part told her that she wanted to stay just a minute longer.

So as the seconds passed her eyelids got heavier and heavier. The threat of sleep loomed above her like a panther, patient and waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce.

With her head leaned back against an unusually comfortable rock, and her torso covered with a towel, Alice slowly drifted off in the private hot spring. One moment, she was floating in delightfully hot water, and then she blinked. When she next opened her eyes there was no steam nor pleasant warmth. Instead she was met with the sight of purple tinted fog and a grinning boss. She tensed up and glared.

"Nightmare," she warned, "after the talk we had earlier, don't you think it's a little risky to be pulling me into the dream realm right now?" Nightmare smiled.

"Perhaps a little, but you see I have to. At this moment, it's my duty." To this Alice's body relaxed a tad, but she was still on her guard. This could be a good thing for her. Sometimes when Nightmare showed up for his Role, he gave out very vital bits of information. Information that could hasten her way home. However she had learned from her experiences in his domain. As much as this could be good it could also be bad. Very, very bad.

"Your duty?" She asked, the syllables slow in coming. The man nodded.

"Yes. Part of my position as the Incubus is that I can read your mind, as you very well know."

"I do."

"And you also know that I can see into your dreams. I can view every thought and desire that crosses through your mind." The girls face darkened and her arms crossed.

"For your own sake, don't remind me." Nightmare held his hands up in a surrendering motion.

"To the point, I'm here to offer you your choice. I see that you have finally found it. You have found your reason to stay."

/*\

For days the tension in the Tower was so thick it was suffocating. It was plain that Miss Alice was on edge. Her attitude was cool towards Nightmare, and she absolutely refused to let the Clock Master anywhere near her. She was hasty in her duties and was actually starting to make odd mistakes, which had her underlings as well as Gray extremely confused and concerned. Whenever the faceless saw her in passing, she looked like she might snap at any moment.

Nightmare was the same as ever, relaxed and confident, but for once he was attending to his responsibilities as the head of the tower. Gray still nagged and assisted, but for these several days he was willingly being productive and took on a professional and serious demeanor. He respected Alice's space, but he was always sure to tell her to have pleasant dreams when she retired for her room. Never had any of the towers employees feared for the Incubus's life so much.

Clock Master Julius still refused to leave the tower, but he didn't keep himself so cooped up anymore. He still ignored the people around him but he would leave his office to get food and coffee, always three times a day when it was appropriate. For the first time ever he was listening to Miss Alice and taking care of himself, as the faceless so often heard them fight about. For a few days the faceless were a little puzzled. After spending so much time disregarding her words, why would he suddenly take her advice? It was only when Alice's assistant Evelyn asked that they discovered that she had stopped making him coffee.

As for Gray, the poor assassin had been caught in the crossfire. As always he was just trying to keep the territory running and prevent the other major players in the Tower (Nightmare) from screwing up too much. He was the only Role-Holder who didn't seem to know what was going on. When the faceless might pass the office at just the right hour he could be heard hissing at his boss, demanding to know just what he'd done to incur Alice's wrath this time.

Yes the tower was absolutely in an uproar, but it was a quiet uproar. Every day passed similarly to the last. Paperwork was pushed in and out and various territory negotiations were held and things were running more smoothly than ever. However, it was plain. Something was very, very wrong, and it had everything to do with the Role-Holders and the Foreigner.

/*\

Alice could not remember feeling so humiliated or anxious in her life. Usually when she had her odd dreams they were all to herself. She alone could observe and reflect on them, and because there was no one else who could possibly see them, she had no need to feel embarrassed or strange about them. No one would know. She could continue on without any worry.

That had changed when she'd come to Wonderland. Nightmare had been an invader in her dreams from the very start. Sometimes he controlled certain aspects of what she saw in her sleep, but it was usually harmless. Things like making cats appear or letting her sit on clouds in the sky. He liked to give her good dreams, in exchange for sneaking him sweets or coffee every so often or even just to lift her mood when she was sad.

Up until now, it had never occurred to her that her dealings with Nightmare might have some serious consequences. Now she found herself avoiding one of her closest friends and direly wishing to murder the other. How could Nightmare have done this? He took her innermost private feelings and thoughts, and then he put them on display for someone else to see.

Alice had hurried through work again, and was practically running towards her room. Just a few minutes and this might be a good day. She hadn't seen him at all, and right now that was an extremely good thing.

Her steps quickened as she spotted the familiar shine of her doorknob. Just a few mores steps…

"Hello Alice." The voice rang behind her softly, but it was loud enough to make her jump. She halted and turned, stiffly nodding her head in greeting. His face was neutral, impassive, as though he'd greeted a stranger on the street. However the fact that he spoke first told her volumes. She almost fell over from the wave of embarrassment that washed over her.

"Hello Julius." She answered softly before turning away again. But she wasn't that lucky. He wasn't going to let her get away that easy.

"Alice wait-"

"ALICE!" A higher-pitched voice rang out. "It has been so long since We have seen you!"

Never in her life had Alice Liddell been happier to see the Queen of Hearts.

/*\

Julius watched as the damned monarch led Alice away.

 _And just when I'd finally gotten her to speak to me._ He thought. He began to head back for his office when a figure rounded the corner.

"My god, she's as bad as Nightmare." Gray panted.

"I thought the negotiation with the Queen wasn't supposed to happen until next week." Julius commented, staring up at a painting on the wall. Gray shrugged.

"It was. I had it rescheduled." Julius raised an eyebrow, but commented no further. He merely walked back towards his office.

/*\

Though the occupation tired her to no end, Alice was finding a great amount of enjoyment in her current shopping trip with Vivaldi. She was laughing and smiling and felt more relaxed than she had in what felt like eons.

"Or what about this one?" The Queen asked, breaking Alice out of her thoughts. The Queen had dragged Alice into a variety of different shops, but now they occupied a boutique. Most of the display consisted of sewing patterns, but there were still premade pieces on display. Sundresses, ball gowns, evening gowns, anything Alice could think of, but the thing Vivaldi was holding was none of them.

"Where did you find a corset?" Alice asked, amused and intrigued. She had worn corsets all her life, but they had always been very plain. They were either off-white or black, and they were so very uncomfortable with the steel bones that were meant to shape her waist. This one was different. Instead of cotton it was made of deep blue satin, and it was covered with fine black lace. There were what looked to be small buttons decorating the front, and upon closer inspection it seemed that the bones were made of something stiff, but more flexible than iron.

Alice firmly believed that metal should not be so intimately integrated into her clothing.

"Just over here! Isn't it pretty?" Vivaldi answered, looking down at her prize.

"It's very pretty. I've never seen one that looked like this before." The glint in Vivaldi's eyes was unmistakable.

"You've never had something like this that was pretty?" She questioned, and the younger girl nodded. "Then it is settled, We will pay for it and you shall take it when We return you home after." Home? Alice could almost feel her mood sinking. Well it was reasonable that Vivaldi might be feeling tired. They had been out for hours, and as much as Alice had loved every second of it, she was a little tired too.

"Do you not wish to return to the tower?" The Queen asked. Alice shook her head.

"It's not that I don't want to. It's just-" As much as she tried, Alice couldn't get the words out. She didn't want to admit what had happened, and especially not in public. However she also would have loved to talk to the Queen about it. She would understand, and she wouldn't judge her. All the same, Alice was quite lucky. Vivaldi was one of the most intuitive people she had ever met. She understood exactly what the Foreigner meant, even if the girl wasn't willing to acknowledge it herself.

/*\

The castle had been peaceful. The breeze glided through the cherry blossoms and the workers were humming happily. There hadn't been a single execution in over three hours, and they all knew that it had everything to do with Alice's presence.

The Queen was always inexplicably happy when Alice was around, announced or not. She never ordered beheadings when the girl was visiting the castle and so it allowed the servants and maids to relax and do their duties without fear, and what a relief that was. Alice had been absent so long that Queen Vivaldi had grown depressed. Then she had become irate. This led to her executing people for the mere slight of existing within her line of vision. Yes, everyone was happy that Alice had finally come back, until:

"HE DID WHAT?!"

Had that been the Queen's voice? Yes it had, and whatever Alice had told her it made her extremely angry. More so than many of the servants had ever seen her.

Though to be fair, many of these servants were new.

/*\

Vivaldi had gone silent with shock, and even the two attending maids had gasped.

"He did what?!" One had blurted out while the other covered her face in horror.

"HE DID WHAT?!" Vivaldi echoed, without even noticing that one of her subordinates had spoken out of turn.

"Vivaldi relax! Please!" Alice pleaded. She was still sitting in the rose-scented bath, and the Queen was hearing none of it. She stood up tall, and marched up the stairs. Even in the midst of her panic Alice still noticed it. Even in her wrath, the Queen barely disturbed the water with her movements. To watch her maintain her composure no one would ever think she was irate, forget steaming mad. Alice couldn't help but to admire it.

The maids were quick to supply the Queens robe, draping it over her shoulders for her as she walked. Then they returned with another for Alice. Ornate and fluffy, and softer than silk Alice nodded gratefully and then followed Vivaldi as she barked orders.

"Find the Incubus and bring him to the castle. We want him beheaded!" She shouted. Both maids bowed with determined expressions on their faces.

"Yes, milady!"

As soon as the servants vanished, Vivaldi turned, a smile on her face.

"Don't worry, Alice. We won't be leaving and neither will you. As soon as that insufferable worm is dealt with, you won't ever have to worry about something like this again."

For a moment, Alice sincerely considered saying nothing.

/*\

While the castle hurried and panicked over Vivaldi's most recent order, she and Alice were locked up in her bedroom with no one to bother them. The Queens two most trusted maids brought tea, and Vivaldi was doing her best to dress Alice up in the corset she'd bought.

To her delight, it had not been hard.

"We think we should play dress-up." She announced. Alice, though beaming, misunderstood.

"You're absolutely right! I've never seen you wear any of the other clothes in your closet. I bet you look amazing in them!" She gushed. Vivaldi smiled, but held a finger up.

"We were speaking of you, Alice." Her face fell.

"I don't think any of those would fit me." She murmured, her eyes downcast. Vivaldi frowned, but inwardly she was pleased. She had managed to distract the girl from her grief. Instead of looking anxious and miserable she had gotten the girl to smile again. That had to be worth something right? But she thought she could do better.

After all, even if Alice's troubles were a little unexpected, Vivaldi had still wanted to take on this project whole-heartedly.

"We do not plan on putting you in Our garments. After all, We did buy you an entirely new wardrobe, did We not?"

To Vivaldi's delight, Alice smiled again and she tried on dress after dress. Some red, some blue, some black and green and purple, they all looked wonderful against the pale backdrop of her skin and hair. On top of the lovely contrast they also accentuated her figure and curves beautifully, making her look like the woman she was as opposed to that poufy blue monstrosity she insisted on wearing everywhere. Not that the Queen would ever say that. Then came the corset.

"I don't know Vivi." Alice murmured. "It feels a little small."

"Nonsense, it looks perfectly fine. You look lovely." While the Queens smile was reassuring Alice was unconvinced.

She too thought the article looked nice. She liked this corset far better than any other one she owned. It wasn't a drab shade of off-white, and the bones didn't constrict her body as much as the others had. However that did not change the fact that she felt it was laced up far too tightly. She could feel the fabric constrict around her chest like a torture device as she attempted to inhale, and loosen just a tad when she exhaled. Alice knew she wasn't getting enough air when the black spots started showing up in her vision. She was about to say as much when the door burst open.

"My Queen, I present to you the Criminal, his aide, and the Clockmaker."

The black spots expanded, and Alice collapsed.

 **/*\**

 **I'm gonna be perfectly honest with you, I did not think that this was where the story would go. It's gonna have to be a two-shot. If you liked it enough to get this far, give it a review? XD**

 **-Static**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hallo. Been awhile. I've been moving again! And also, turns out I don't get to have my novel published. v.v I haven't quit on it, but more likely than not it's gonna be a while before it hits the public. But in the meantime, have some more JuliusxAlice.**

 **-Static**

 **04: The Complications of Life and Death**

"GODDAMMIT!" A feminine voice wailed from the kitchen area. Just a little down the hallway a man jumped in his chair, abruptly jerked from his trance.

"Alice?" Julius called. No reply. "Alice, are you alright?"

In the kitchen, a tiny blond girl-woman glared up at a dashing young knight. At least, he might seem dashing to those who didn't know him.

"Ace," the girl growled, "what, exactly, made you think that sneaking up behind someone dealing with a hot oven was a good idea?" An innocent expression befell the knight's face.

"What do you mean Alice?" he asked with the utmost sincerity. "You looked distracted, I was just trying to help."

"By pushing me into a rack of red-hot metal?" She replied. "Ace, you're my friend and I would never wish any serious harm on you, but why don't you take your glove off and put your hand on that grate?" He tilted his head at her, an expression of blatant confusion decorating his handsomely stupid face.

"Why would I do that? I'd burn my hand."

It took every ounce of Alice's self-restraint not to grab the knife on the counter and lunge.

/*\

Alice stared out the window as Julius made her sit down in the closest chair and gently wrapped a bandage around her hand. Ace had been promptly kicked out after Julius found Alice nursing a giant burn wound, and he'd made her do all sorts of things to help the pain. At least, she said it felt a little better after the cooling medicine had been applied, but now that the throbbing had receded the wound was starting to itch just a tad. Alice almost growled in aggravation as she stopped herself from scratching yet again.

"You shouldn't let yourself get so distracted." The man grumbled, tying a knot into the gauze to keep it in place. Alice only shrugged. Julius quirked his eyebrow.

 _That's worrying._ He thought to himself. _She isn't normally this quiet._ He wondered what to do next. She had been this way for a while. It had almost become normal, but after meeting the chatty and naïve young woman who'd been thrown down the rabbit hole against her will he knew that something wasn't quite right. Perhaps he should ask her if she was okay? If she had anything weighing on her mind? Isn't that what a good significant other would do? But his musings were pointless, as she piped up soon enough.

Still she stared out the window and seemed to remain docile under his care, but her voice made it clear that she was anything but. Something was definitely wrong.

"Julius," she borderline whispered, "may I ask you a question?" Cautiously, the mortician reached out for the Outsider's face to turn her eyes towards his.

Why did she look so afraid? He'd never seen Alice look this vulnerable or upset, not even when she would return home telling him stories about all the times the other role-holders nearly got her killed, whether by accident or bullets. No, something different was going on here and as much as he might have wanted to tell her to ask Gray or Nightmare or even Boris he knew that he couldn't just drop this. The look on her face told him that much.

"Of course." He answered slowly.

"Am I dead?"

For a moment time stopped, and Julius had images flying through his mind. Alice dead on the side streets, face down in a pool of her own blood. Alice running off a cliff, chased down by a horde of angry faceless. Alice's tiny body delivered to the front door of the Tower, with a triumphant note pinned to her bloodstained dress explaining that he now felt what _they_ felt.

All of Julius Monrey's nightmares and here she sat directly in front of him asking if they might be real. Her azure eyes stared into his soul and he wasn't quite sure how to respond. He had no idea where she was going with this, but the image she had placed in his mind made his clock freeze in his chest.

"I don't think I follow. You look very alive to me." She shook her head.

"That's not-" she cut off abruptly. "How much do you know about Foreigners?" Now he really didn't know what she was asking him.

"Not much." He admitted. "Only that they come here when they wish for it." That seemed to snap her out of her rigor.

"Exactly!" She exclaimed. "That's what everyone else has told me. Every single time, but it doesn't add up!" She stood up and glared at the knife sitting on the counter. "I didn't _want_ to come here. Peter abducted me and I filled up the vial. I went home, and then I was brought back. And that was the strange thing. When I was up there, while I was 'waking up' I-" she cut off again.

Never had Julius seen her this way, so unsure, upset, and absolutely _frightened._ Even when the faceless had kidnapped her to threaten him and Ace, when the Mafia's enemies had come for her, and the Queens men attempted to kill her, never had she seemed so afraid or…defeated. Plainly something had happened when she'd returned to her own world, and it had her in knots. That was why she had been different. Just a little off in comparison to his first set of encounters with her. He stood up to walk around the table and lightly touched her shoulder.

"What happened Alice?"

"Blood was there." She answered meekly. "He lectured me for assuming that this place wasn't real, a figment of my imagination. He did his best to keep me distracted and lead me back to the hole but I still saw it, and he still tells me that I imagined it."

"Saw what?" She looked back up at him. She almost looked worried, as if she had only just realized what she was saying to him. Confliction flew across her face and she bit her lip. She averted eye contact and Julius lightly laced his fingers with her. He wasn't fond of personal contact, but right now her needs were more important than his slight discomforts. Her voice cracked.

"If even Blood tells me I'm crazy, I don't think you'll believe me." The mortician raised an eyebrow. While he himself was unsure of what she might say next, he wouldn't let her see it.

"I hail from a world where noon turns to midnight in a split second. My job is, put simply, to bring people back to life. Something you may think impossible is probably at least semi-normal here." As strange as the comforting tone felt on his tongue, he'd gotten her to smile. She bit her lip again, a drop of blood running down her chin, and her voice was so soft that when she spoke Julius almost missed her words.

"I saw _myself._ I looked to be asleep up against a tree with the tea set splayed in front of me. My little sister was trying to shake me awake. It was surreal, but it made me wonder. I've never had an out-of-body experience before, and I wouldn't have predicted it to be so nerve wracking. I know now that Wonderland is real. Far more so than I might have wanted it to be, but it never occurred to me that it might be some form of afterlife. Could it be that all the people here are just…deceased foreigners?" By the end it sounded more like she was talking to herself.

This thought had occurred to Julius before, but his theory was a tad different. He knew deep down that the Role-Holders themselves were different, they always had been. Their choosing was seemingly completely random, but _what if it wasn't_? The only time he'd ever watched someone become a Role-Holder was when Blood had been brought to Wonderland and he'd only just become the Clockmaker.

Julius had never liked that man, even as a child, but he still had sympathy for the Mafia's leader. It had been alarming, to say the least, to watch the process. Blood – at the time a ten-year-old boy – had wished for a world where he had some modicum of control, where he could potentially save the only person he legitimately cared about. It hadn't taken long for him to get drunk on the power and lose his mind, completely forgetting everything about the world he came from save for the one thing connecting him to it. While Julius wasn't sure of all the details, he knew that Blood's recreation of his sister resided somewhere within Wonderland. That had been the only time he had ever seen someone take on a Role, and it had been a person not native to Wonderland.

But that was not the only basis for his theory. Ace, too, had once been an Outsider. He knew that another Julius from a different Wonderland had brought him there. He knew it inherently, from the moment he'd first met the Executioner. This was someone who had valued a different version of him, and condemned him to a particular role for the rest of his now unending life in the misguided hope that it might bring back the Julius who'd raised him. He'd been misled by the only other immortal, and that was why Julius was fine with being Ace's friend in spite of what he'd done. If the Role-Holders were all once Outsiders, it would explain so much. Why there were so few of them, why they all had individuality, why they had faces, why the workings of Wonderland had driven them mad while the faceless kept their sound minds.

"Julius?" Alice asked. "Juliuuus?" she sang, waving her hand in front of his face.

"S-sorry." He responded. "I understand your feelings, and I think it's possible that you weren't hallucinating." Her eyes widened.

"R-really?" She asked. "You don't think I'm being paranoid or ridiculous?" This was where it got tricky. Julius chose his next words very slowly, leading Alice back to the office/bedroom.

"I think that you could be on to something, however I don't think I believe that you're dead. Not yet anyways." She tilted her head.

"And why is that?" Julius's fingers twitched, and he resisted the desire to place his hand on Alice's chest. He wasn't sure why, he wasn't going to do or say anything inappropriate, and even if he did he was her spouse. Unless she outright rejected him it wouldn't be an issue, but physical contact had always been difficult for him. Instead of his hand, he placed his index finger just below her collarbone.

"Your heart still beats." Those were his only words before he retreated to the closet, closing the door behind him as Alice contemplated their conversation.

/*\

After Alice took her turn changing into her nightclothes she climbed up into the bed. She lightly crawled over to her lover and plopped down beside him, snuggling into his side as he tried not to look too uncomfortable. She nestled closer as she frowned. No, the people of Wonderland couldn't possibly be dead. At least Julius couldn't be. He was warm, and with her head on his chest she could hear the light thrumming of the blood pumping through his veins. Yes that was certainly thrumming, hiding behind the ticking. He might be pale, but he was by no means deceased. Not even sickly. A perfectly healthy and beautiful man, who had a clock instead of a heart to boot.

"You're right." She whispered. "I'm not dead. At least not yet."

"And even if you were," he answered back, "I would be too. So if the time comes and you decide you want to stay, you and I, and everyone else you care for in Wonderland, will be dead together."

 **/*\**

 **Well that was darkly romantic. But I liked this one. I really liked this one. Leave a review if it suits you!**

 **-Static**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey. Back again. So I know I haven't really been active lately, but I've actually been writing on a different account for a different fandom. If you wanna check it out, the pen name is Statyck. Thanks. Sorry. x.x**

 **-Static**

 **PS The stuff on the other account might be a bit dark and/or erotic for your tastes, but I hope you like what you choose to read!**

 **/*\**

 **Curious Dreams: II**

Alice positively loathed clichés, and her current predicament was nothing but. The moment she awoke she realized that she'd fainted, and that alone was enough to make her cringe. She squinted into the light, trying to make sense of her surroundings. She was still at Heart Castle. She was in one of the spare rooms, if she wasn't mistaken. Everything was covered in red. A small heart-shaped table sat near the foot of her bed, while heart-shaped lights dangled above her head. The door was embellished with heart decorations, and even the bed itself was shaped like one too. As she looked around she realized she wasn't alone. She found one solitary Clockmaker sitting by her bed.

One solitary Clockmaker who looked to be asleep.

As quietly as she could, Alice peeked underneath her covers. The corset was gone, thankfully, but someone had changed her into a nightdress. Something very lacy and very see-through and very black. _Well,_ she thought to herself, _at least it's not red_.

As much as Alice loved Vivaldi, the Queen definitely had no understanding of the concept of subtlety. She knew exactly what the queen was playing at. Dressing her up in cute lingerie, trapping her in a room with the man she desired. No. Vivaldi was definitely a straightforward kind of woman. Alice didn't think the queen's methods would work for her. The woman glanced at the man sitting beside her and silently slid the covers off. Keeping an eye on him, she stepped back and away. There was a bathrobe sitting on a hook by the door. If she could make it–

 _Clang!_

Alice had run into the coffee table, and sent a metal serving dish flying to the ground. Even in the midst of her panic, Alice still allowed herself to wonder: why was there just a random metal plate sitting on the coffee table? There were no proper plates or tableware or tea cups. Just the silver oval, as though it had been placed there for the sole purpose of taking advantage of her clumsiness. She ducked down to pick it up, but by that point it was too late. As she very softly placed the dish back onto the table a flash of color caught her attention.

A pair of deep sapphire eyes quietly stared at her. His clothes were slightly wrinkled, and his navy hair hung over his shoulder, nearly touching the ground. His arms were folded on the back of the chair, concealing the rest of his face, and he sat entirely still. This struck Alice as odd.

Julius wouldn't normally be one to ogle. In fact, normally he'd be turning redder than the queen's roses and demanding she cover up. Instead he looked rather serious.

Vivaldi must have said something.

 _Actually, scratch that._ Alice thought to herself. _He's most definitely blushing. He's hiding._

For a moment all was still and silent, before Alice meekly stepped back.

"Hello." She murmured, crossing her arms over her breasts. Her gaze slid to the floor, allowing her long pale locks to fall over her face. She wasn't sure why she felt so ashamed, she hadn't actually done anything wrong, but her companion didn't say a word. Julius only blinked before standing up and approaching her.

She thought he might hand her the bathrobe, or even his own over-long jacket, but instead he reached out for her. She momentarily thought that he might place his hand on her shoulder before he hesitated and pulled back.

"May we speak honestly?" He asked, his voice soft and tranquil. Something she rarely saw in the high-strung mortician.

"That depends." She answered, her voice little more than a whisper. "I wish to treat this…maturely. We are adults. We should behave like it."

"I agree." He nodded slowly. "Nightmare showed me some…intriguing images."

"I know." She responded, she averted her gaze. "I created them."

"And you avoided me like the plague afterwards. Do you, perhaps, regret them?" Julius made his inquiry with the utmost gentleness. Immediately Alice jumped. She felt a spike of anger jolt through her stomach, but then she took a deep breath. She had to keep her cool. Nightmare had already screwed this up for her enough, she would be damned if she botched it herself.

"No, of course not." She stated. "It's just…I made a mistake is all." She paused, playing with her fingers.

"This mistake being…?"

"I forgot. I forgot how different Wonderland is. How powerful Nightmare is. I've never felt so violated in my life." She laughed softly, if only to prevent herself from tearing up. "I wasn't ready to do anything about it, not yet. It was my choice, and Nightmare took that away from me."

"So it had nothing to do with me then?" He asked. Alice blinked, and slowly shook her head.

"No."

/*\

Julius wasn't much of a liar. He never had been and he most likely never would be. He had no reason to lie, or pretend, or any of those things. That is, up until now.

Alice had finally woken up. She hadn't been asleep long, maybe an hour at most, but it had felt like eons had passed him by as he played over the situation in his head again and again.

She wanted him.

She wanted him the way everyone else wanted her. Never in a hundred thousand years would he have dared to dream that he would be her choice. He was nothing and everything all at the same time. He made sure life continued to exist, but at the same time he was like a shadow. He knew the others slandered him to her, and yet she still–.

He noticed immediately as she jumped, her eyes blinking blearily into the overhead light. Julius panicked. He couldn't freak out on her, not like he usually would. He could not afford to mess this up.

After all the other conversations, after all the other times Nightmare had tried to meddle, and after all the times she came running to him instead of someone else this could very well be his last chance.

So in an effort to stall for time he let his head rest on his arm and closed his eyes. He listened as the covers rustled. He could faintly hear the soft creaking of the wood beneath her feet as she walked away from him. He was trying to decide what to do when a loud bash sounded through the room. His eyes shot open.

There she was, in something he knew she never would have chosen for herself. At least not outside a very intimate context.

Alice was dressed in a lace nightgown, and for whatever reason the Queen had deemed it fit to remove her undergarments. Her hair had been left alone, hanging down long and blonde to her hips. He could see the pale flesh of her breasts, and the pink dots that completed them. He could see the smooth plane of her stomach, decorated by her belly button. He could see the divot between her hips, leading down to her…

It was best not to think too hard about that. She had frozen, staring at him as intently as he stared at her. It was almost as though electricity were sparking in the air between the both of them, the moment was so tense, so filled with anticipation.

 _Talk to her._ A soft voice whispered in his mind. _You won't get to experiences those fantasies for yourself if you don't talk to her first._

 _You have interfered enough._ Julius mentally spat back. _Do yourself a favor and mind your own damn business for once._

Thankfully the voice retreated, and the Clockmaker was left to his own devices. He allowed himself to stare a moment more before she whispered a soft greeting, moving to obscure his sight of her.

He stood up. He asked the questions the role wanted. And for the first time since her arrival to Wonderland, he held a calm and collected conversation with her. He knew he could sound exceedingly cruel and judgmental on occasion, and it would not do for those undertones to rear their ugly heads right now.

Finally, he got to the question he wanted, the one he was loathe to ask but desperately needed to know the answer to. Did she change her mind? Did she decide she didn't want him after all? Had she dodged his presence at every chance because she regretted her fantasies of him?

"No." She answered. "Well, it kind of had everything to do with you, but not like that."

"I see." He nodded, then turned to look at a spot on the floor. "I'm sorry."

"For?"

"I'm not entirely sure what to do now. I'm not exactly, well, popular with other people. Especially in this kind of context. It's been…a very long time."

"Has it?" She inquired. He nodded, crossing his arms nervously. She certainly wouldn't approve of the fact that he'd actually know what he was doing, sort of, but he suspected she'd be grateful for the lack of pain. If he recalled anything about what it meant to sleep with someone, he remembered that.

"I can't recall the specifics of the last time I was intimate. I know for certain it was before I took my role."

"And you know for certain that it's happened before?" She asked. Julius nodded.

"I _am_ a little old to be a virgin, don't you think?" He asked teasingly. Immediately Alice smiled and giggled.

"Yes, you are." She said. "Well I, um. I am. A virgin I mean." She stumbled over her words, and for a moment looked extremely horrified at herself. "That was certainly straightforward."

"No more so than I was." Again, everything fell silent. The room had filled with tension once more. It was a little like a game of chess. The anticipation, the unpredictability, the back and forth between him and her. Now she watched him warily as she awaited his next move. Carefully, Julius approached her and let his hand rest on her shoulder. Slowly his fingers slid up her neck to caress her face.

"Are you okay with this?" He asked her.

"Yes."

Slowly he leaned in allowing his lips to brush against hers, lighter than a butterfly's wings.

"This?"

"Yes."

His other hand came to rest on her hip, the pads of his fingers brushing along either lace or skin.

"Keep going." She whispered.

His kisses grew firmer, his touches rougher. He backed her up against a wall, lifting her up, and she began to reciprocate. He didn't protest when she pulled out the tie that bound his hair. He didn't care when she pushed off his jacket and untucked his shirt. He didn't mind when she began to play with his tie and undo the buttons. Finally they made it to the breaking point.

All that separated them was his own undergarments versus a scrap of lace.

"You're certain? There is still time for you to change your mind." He forced the words from his mouth. It was part of the game. Part of the rules. His role would not be content until he gave her every out available. He could only pray that she maintained her resolve. Alice was many things. Fickle wasn't one of them. He knew that, but she could still refuse.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you didn't want this." She teased. She kissed him, and playfully rolled her hips. Julius hissed and nipped at her neck.

"So that's a yes?"

"Absolutely."

/*\

In the background Nightmare watched. Not up close, mind you, but just enough to sate the role. Green and violet clouds swirled about as he observed a more censored picture of the situation. Julius had asked all the necessary questions, each confirmation cementing the woman a little bit more to Wonderland. Alice got to live the fantasies she had only dreamed of in the deepest, darkest recesses in her mind and for the first time she looked genuinely happy. Her arrival had been a blessing in so many ways, and seeing the way she changed the Clockmaker only strengthened his opinion.

It had been a privilege for Nightmare to watch. In a world filled with blood and murder and anger, he had been permitted to see this sliver of goodness. He got to observe an embittered young man, hated by this violent place, gain a companion. A companion who wasn't batshit crazy. He got to watch as this role-holder fought with himself over whether or not he should pursue her, and he got to witness the sheer elation this man felt when he realized that she had actually chosen him. He got to witness the wonder and awe when she had chosen him over all the other "more desirable" men in Wonderland. Nightmare couldn't help but feel utterly delighted at the development.

As the pair gave themselves up to pleasure, sweet words, each other, Nightmare couldn't help but to slightly nod in approval. He wished them the best. He hoped for their contentment for years to come. Finally, _someone_ got to be happy.

But that left him with another problem.

Before him stood a rabbit. A rabbit who stared up at him with a pain so potent it disturbed even the incubus in his own realm of dreams. The rabbit pointed a simple pistol up at the floating demon, and his face was so contorted to the point that he didn't even look real.

"I thought you wanted her to be happy?" Nightmare said.

"I do want her to be happy. With _me_."

 **/*\**

 **That ended a little darker than I thought it would. It was short too. Sorry x.x I'll write some more for this fandom, I promise.**

 **-Static**


End file.
